Looks Great!

How wide is the layout in this scene?

Very nice..

Narrow Benchwork at its best!

Neat-O

I like this scene more the more I see completed.  Very nice.

Scene Depth

8 inches from fascia to backdrop.

Thanks Bryan. There's a couple of spots I need to touch up on the photo backdrop. I'm thinking about painting the tree line to help blend it in better.

Thanks Rob. It's definitely a scene where more detail adds, rather than distracts, from the overall effect. Normally I'd avoid adding all the little bits and pieces since you run the risk of overwhelming a scene.

James

Touch-up

Yes, I think that could help.  The darker sky behind the photos is the one thing about the backdrop that so far detracts.  It really isn't a big issue, but if you can successfully paint in some extra leaves and/or "sky holes" (what artists call the spaces within the trees) to blend with your painted sky, you could take the whole scene up that one last notch.  Tom Johnson's photo backdrops are great examples of this.  

Really nice

Great looking scene, James- everything fits together nicely. Photo backdrops aren't easy to do, but you've done a great job of blending them in to the surrounding scenery. The attention to detail in impressive, too, i.e. the line poles and transformers, the fire hydrant, the signs, etc. I especially like the coloring and weathering on the roads, and the parking spaces along the fascia are a nice touch.

Tom Patterson

Background

That large building appears to be a photo backdrop. It looks great especially with the shadow across it. Nice job.

John

Typical......

of your great work James. AND typical of a scene I've seen many times in real life, which makes it all the more realistic. Very nicely done.

The Complete Scene

Kevin, John, Tom, et. al., thank you for your kind words.

I admit I was concerned that I was adding too much and would clutter the scene. But I've found the opposite to be true. All I did was reference photos of the prototype scene and say "Well, I need this there... and that over there... and two of these here..."

Yes there's a lot of details, but they help add to the overall effect of the scene.

James

Nice

So cool.  That looks really nice!

Very nice! I wish I had more

Very nice! I wish I had more space to build something like this. Thanks for sharing.

Reprint

Bryan and Rob were correct in their comments, and it finally bugged me enough to do something about it.

I ended up removing and reprinting the entire photo backdrop at Clive. While I mostly wanted to correct the color issues I also took the opportunity to clean up a few areas I had either missed or ignored the first time.

It's fun to install a full photo backdrop behind a nearly completed scene but it was worth the effort.

Again, thanks everyone for the kind comments and suggestions.
James

Yes!

The original backdrop looked OK, but the new one is better.  I'd say it was worth the effort.

James, Was This

a new set of photos or just a color adjustment and a reprint of the existing photos?

Same Set, Different Print

Hi Tom,

Same set of photos. I just adjusted the overall brightness and contrast to better match the backdrop and roadways.

James

Trees

In the photos, it is difficult to tell which trees are "real" and which trees are part of the backdrop. This does a lot to disguise where the scenery ends and the background starts.

I like it!

George

Thanks,

The joys of the digital age.

James,

So Realistic

Beautiful work!  I know you hear it a lot, but this looks so realistic!

Very nicely done. You have

Very nicely done. You have made me change my mind from using 2' shelves to 8'' shelves when my back gets a little better. would you want to come to TN. and help me with my backdrop????Great work Bud Keep it up 

reviving an old thread

These scenes look amazing.

I'm reviving an old thread to get some advice. My benchwork against the walls is mostly 15". The deck height for the upper level is at 55". The deck height for the lower level is 38". I did this mostly for my wife who is 5'4". I'm 6'. Is there any good way to handle a backdrop on a low, narrow shelf?

Herb

Keep it Low

Hi Herb,

Keep it low.

I've found that backdrops around 2 to 3 inches high are much, much more effective. Especially on narrow, high shelves. Obviously your mileage may vary, depending on the apparent size of the elements on your backdrop (mountains, trees, buildings, etc.), but lower is better.

James

Outstanding job James!!

Outstanding job James!!  Where did you get your photo backdrops??  Do you take you own pics??  Again, very nice job.  Can't tell where the layout stops and backdrop starts.

Phil